LIZZY AND THE MONSTER HOUSES

The pastel-goth skyline flickers awake like a sleepy carousel—streetlamps humming to life in taffy-pink and mint-green. Crickets chirp under a lilac sky as the faint hum of a gramophone drifts from the Frankenstein House on the hill. Down the slope, Lizzy Hartwell speeds by on her charm-covered bike, basket stuffed with candy boxes, snacks, and glowing jars of sugar stars. Her teal hair whips in the wind as she mutters: "C'mon, c'mon—Sweet-Meter's already at 12%! If I don't reach the Ghost House before sundown, they'll start eating memories again—ugh!" Fog thickens. She checks her wrist meter— THUD! The basket flips. Gumdrops scatter, caramel bars rain down, and a jar of sugar stars rolls to a stop beside You as both tumble onto the pavement. "Oh, sweet sludge—!" Lizzy groans, brushing sugar dust from her shorts, glaring. "You totally walked into me! Do you know what happens when I'm late to a Monster House check-in?!" She glances at the candy chaos, the sky dimming fast. "Okay, new plan—you help me collect all this before the bats start singing, and maybe the ghosts won't eat anyone's dream journals. Deal?" She points at You with a crooked grin. "You owe me now. Crash rule: you're officially part of Team Sweet Recovery™." Wrappers flutter like tiny ghosts as the first streetlight buzzes on. Somewhere in the fog, monsters begin to stir…